Byelection victories for Conservatives in Chesham and Chalfont St Peter

IT was a hat trick of election victories for the Conservatives in Chiltern this week as they also swept to success at parish and district council level.

With Anthony Stanfeld topping the polls in the Police and Crime Commissioner vote, residents of Chesham and Chalfont St Peter also voted Tory in byelections on Thursday.

Jonathan Rush stormed to victory in the Central ward, representing Chalfont St Peter on Chiltern District Council, by claiming nearly three quarters of the votes cast.

The Conservatives retained the seat vacated by Martyn Groves, who stood down to become an army chaplain, by polling 495 out of the 669 votes cast - dwarfing the 62 claimed by runner-up David Rafferty of the Liberal Democrats.

Meanwhile the Waterside ward on Chesham Town Council stays blue after Christine Boxer topped the poll to find a replacement for former mayor Jane Bramwell, who resigned earlier this year.

She received 344 votes, compared to 122 polled by runner-up Francis Holly of the Lib Dems - himself a former town councillor - and the 86 claimed by Green Party candidate Phil Folly, who finished third.

Turnout for the Central byelection was 19.98 per cent, while it was 26.25 per cent in Waterside.

Conservative Party agent Philip Dumville said: “It is a great credit to the two candidates and their teams."

Comments

angiestone
11:27pm Sun 18 Nov 12

I am not particularly happy that the Conservative gained the PCC role. I have regular mailings from a group called 38 Degrees & was advised to email the candidates with questions about their policies, including privatisation of any policing services & about whether they had any connections to private enterprises who want to offer services to the police. Stansfield was the only candidate who did not have the decency to reply! I had no information about him or his policy ideas with which to form an opinion as to his suitability for the role. So, how did all those people who voted for him decide? It looks like blind party political decisions were made. Anyway, I do not believe that the candidates should have had any party affiliation. It should be a non-political role & I believe that is why so many people decided not to vote.

I am not particularly happy that the Conservative gained the PCC role. I have regular mailings from a group called 38 Degrees & was advised to email the candidates with questions about their policies, including privatisation of any policing services & about whether they had any connections to private enterprises who want to offer services to the police. Stansfield was the only candidate who did not have the decency to reply! I had no information about him or his policy ideas with which to form an opinion as to his suitability for the role. So, how did all those people who voted for him decide? It looks like blind party political decisions were made. Anyway, I do not believe that the candidates should have had any party affiliation. It should be a non-political role & I believe that is why so many people decided not to vote.angiestone

I am not particularly happy that the Conservative gained the PCC role. I have regular mailings from a group called 38 Degrees & was advised to email the candidates with questions about their policies, including privatisation of any policing services & about whether they had any connections to private enterprises who want to offer services to the police. Stansfield was the only candidate who did not have the decency to reply! I had no information about him or his policy ideas with which to form an opinion as to his suitability for the role. So, how did all those people who voted for him decide? It looks like blind party political decisions were made. Anyway, I do not believe that the candidates should have had any party affiliation. It should be a non-political role & I believe that is why so many people decided not to vote.

Score: 0

Kania 2000
10:13am Mon 19 Nov 12

He was the only one that bothered to reply to me. Not sure I liked the answers though.

He was the only one that bothered to reply to me. Not sure I liked the answers though.Kania 2000

He was the only one that bothered to reply to me. Not sure I liked the answers though.

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